Breaking in a baseball glove - Very Simple

by Jeff
(Wisconsin)

1 - get a dark plastic bag and put the glove inside. Seal the bag (tie it closed) and place on a window sill or car dashboard - somewhere where there is good sunlight. Being being glass intensifies the heat in the bag so outside temperature doesn't matter.

2 - remove the glove from the bag before the sun goes away. You want to be able to feel the heat inside the bag when you open it.

3 - Use a device like a Mitt Masher (sort of like a bat handle with a wood ball attached at the end - see Akademapro.com for better description to pound the pocket of the glove to conform to your hand. Do this for about 5 - 10 minutes and feel free to "mash" all of the glove, not just the pocket (think of it like tenderizing" the leather.

4 - slam the masher into the pocket and close it around the masher. Hold in place with tight rubber bands, usually over night.

5 - repeat as needed and start playing catch ASAP.

6 - No oils or any other product should be used because the leather is new. Oils are used during and at the end of the season. Once a week place oil on a towel (NEVER DIRECTLY ON THE GLOVE) and massage the oil into the laces and the inside of the glove - where you hand goes. Finally just rub down the glove with a small amount oil. Too much makes the glove heavy.

With glove oil or mink oil a little goes a long way.